Tacos Dorados: Fried Tacos

Tacos Dorados, also known as fried tacos, are a crispy kid-friendly and delicious meal or appetizer that can be whipped together in no time flat. All you need are some tortillas, your favorite filling, and a skillet with a bit of hot oil, and you can have these amazing treats ready to eat in a matter of minutes.

There’s something special about the crunchy texture of the fried taco shell that’s combined with the flavorful shredded chicken stuffing inside that has made Tacos Dorados such a popular dish all around the world. Best of all, they only require minimal ingredients and maximum flavor, so even if you are short on groceries you can still enjoy them!

This 30-minute dinner is the perfect way to change up your taco Tuesday. It’s a meal that the whole family will love!

What is a Dorados Taco?

A dorados taco literally translates to “golden taco”.

Dorados tacos are made with a corn or flour tortilla that’s filled with a meaty, cheesy filling, then pan-fried in oil until golden. The result is a crispier, slightly chewy taco shell and a delicious gooey center.

What is the difference between flautas and Tacos Dorados?

Although the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they are technically slightly different.

Both flautas and tacos dorados are fried tortillas loaded with a meat and cheese filling and fried until golden and crispy. The primary difference is in the shape. Flautas are rolled up into a shape similar to that of a taquito. Tacos dorados are not rolled at all. They’re simply folded up into a traditional taco shape, then fried.

Ingredients for Fried Tacos

Here’s what you’ll need for this tacos dorados recipe:

• Shredded Chicken: You can use leftover taco chicken from another night or shredded chicken from this week’s meal prep. Other filling ideas would be ground beef, shredded pork, or even wild game.
• Cheese: I use a Mexican blend cheese, but feel free to use another cheese of your choice.
• Guacamole: You can use store-bought guacamole or whip up a batch using your favorite recipe.
• Taco Seasoning: Keep it quick and easy with pre-made taco seasoning or make your own.
• Tortillas: I use street taco flour tortillas which are the perfect size for these fried tacos. If preferred, you can use corn tortillas instead.
• Oil: Use a neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point. Canola or vegetable oil are both great options.
• Serving Sides: Serve your tacos dorados with any of your favorite taco toppings! I always enjoy them with salsa, sour cream, additional guacamole, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges

Ingredients Substitutions

Can I use another type of meat?

Absolutely! Shredded chicken is a classic, but you can definitely swap it out for ground beef or turkey if preferred. Just be sure to cook it first.

Can I use corn tortillas?

Yes. I love the texture of flour tortillas in this recipe, but corn tortillas will work just as well. Since corn tortillas do tend to be a little bit stiffer, though, I recommend warming them in the microwave just slightly before adding the fillings so they don’t break or crack when you fold them over.

Can I make vegetarian tacos dorados?

Yes! You can easily make vegetarian tacos dorados using other fillings. Try cooked potatoes, fajita veggies, refried beans, or a meatless variety of ground beef or chicken.

How to Make Easy Fried Tacos

This delicious dinner recipe is so simple, so easy, and comes together in a total of 30 minutes! Here’s a breakdown of the recipe:

1. In a bowl, mix together chicken, cheese, and salsa.
2. Spread a little guacamole on a tortilla, then top with a couple tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Fold in half to form a mini quesadilla. Repeat until all of the filling is used up.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, then fry 4 quesadillas at a time on each side until cooked to your liking.

What should I use to fry tacos?

You need just a couple of things to fry up your tacos:

• Skillet. I recommend a cast-iron for a better, crispier texture, but you can use whatever skillet you have on-hand.
• Oil. Make sure you use a neutral flavored oil such as vegetable or canola. Oils with a more recognizable flavor such as olive oil or coconut oil will pass that flavor onto the tacos too much.

Tips and notes

Don’t overfill the tacos. You want to leave enough of a border around the edges so the fillings don’t just fall out when you try to fry them.

Make sure the oil is hot, but not too hot. It should be pretty sizzle-y before you add the tacos in so you can achieve that crispy fried texture. If it’s not hot enough, you’ll end up with soggy tacos. If it’s too hot, you’ll just burn them.

Fry in batches. I recommend frying just 4 tacos at a time. Adding too many into the oil at once will cause the temperature to drop.

Serve right away. In general, anything that’s fried is best served immediately! Tacos dorados are no exception.

How to store Fried Tacos

If you have leftover fried tacos, they can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, line on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF until warmed and re-crisped. Keep in mind that the texture won’t be as crispy, even after reheating.

Making ahead of time

If you want to prep your recipe in advance for easier assembly later, you can make the chicken filling and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

When you’re ready to use it, simply follow the recipe as instructed.

What to serve with Tacos Dorados

When it comes to toppings, you can really dress your fried tacos up with anything you want! I usually do sour cream, guac, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges, but you could also serve them with queso, black olives, pico de gallo, jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, or any of your favorite taco toppings.

If you want to bulk your meal up a bit, serve them with a side of Mexican rice, refried beans, or chips and salsa!

Tacos Dorados

Author Katie Chase

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main

Cuisine American, Mexican

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

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Traditionally known as Tacos Dorados, fried tacos are filled with meat of choice and folded or wrapped in a soft tortilla, then pan fried or deep fried to achieve a crunchy texture and golden color.

Equipment

• 12-inch skillet

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup shredded chicken
• ▢ 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• ▢ ⅓ cup salsa of choice
• ▢ 1 cup guacamole
• ▢ 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• ▢ 12 street taco flour tortillas
• ▢ 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• ▢ Serving Sides Optional
• ▢ Salsa sour cream, guacamole, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.

Instructions

• Add the shredded chicken, cheese, and salsa to a medium-sized mixing bowl and
• combine.
• Spread 1 teaspoon of guacamole onto one half of a street taco tortilla. Then place 1-2
• tablespoons of the chicken mixture on top of the guacamole. Fold the tortilla in half to
• form a mini quesadilla.
• Add 1 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over
• medium-low heat. Cook 4 quesadillas at a time, frying for 1-2 minutes per side. Be sure
• to add oil to the skillet between each batch.
• If desired, serve finished quesadillas with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, fresh cilantro,
• and lime wedges.

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